Tema fishermen hopeful of bumper harvest

The two chief fishermen in-charge of the Tema Landing Beach, at the Tema Fishing Harbour, say they are expecting a bumper harvest this major season.

According to the two chief fishermen, Nii Adjieteh Mator III and Nii Odametey II in-charge of Tema Ashaman and Awudum respectively, indications on the ground point to the fact that this year was going to be good for fishermen in Tema.

They disclosed that fishermen in the Western and Central regions started catching the fish somewhere last month, and it was now drifting towards the Tema waters, hence their belief that it would be good this year.

During the main fish season, the types of fish they have been catching include herrings, tuna and red snapper fishes. Speaking in a joint interview with The Chronicle last Wednesday at the Tema Landing Beach, the chief fishermen noted that since the beginning of the week, some of their fishermen have recorded encouraging catches, with some canoes getting between 20 and 50 cartons of fish per catch.

However, Nii Mator III was worried that the quantity of premix fuel they get per week to supply their men for fishing was inadequate, judging from the fact that this was a major season, and also the fact that the number of canoes that were presently operating in the area had increased.

He explained that a tanker containing 13,500 litres of premix fuel, equivalent of 3,000 gallons of the fuel, are giving to them weekly, saying even last week, they received only one tanker load.

He was of the opinion that if the government gives them four 13,500 litre-tankers per week, it would help solve their problem once and for all, because it would be enough to serve every fisherman in the area, at least, during this major season.

Nii Mator III noted that because the fish was currently moving towards Tema, other fishermen from the Central and Western regions, as well as Ada, are heading for Tema to fish.

“The number of canoes at the beach has increased from 700, which is the number of canoes at the Tema Landing Beach, to over 800, so it is important that we get more premix fuel. Now that we are in the major season, we are appealing to the government to give us four tankers per week, and when the season is over, they can reduce it to two, and that will be okay with us,” he stressed.

He appealed to fishermen in the country, especially chief fishermen, to exercise restraint and not embark on demonstrations over premix fuel, because he was optimistic that the government, with time, would solve the problems, just as the previous government did.

He explained that since the government just took office, it would take its officials a little bit of time to be able to adjust to operations in the management of premix fuel.

On his part, Nii Odametey II appealed to the government to endeavour to repair the wharf, and also dredge the area, to allow for the more canoes to have a place to berth.

On the issue of pair trawling, he noted that their activities had gone down considerably, hence the bumber havest they are expecting.